FMCSA - Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program

Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program - March 2000

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

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MCSAP is a Federa grant program for all States, Territories and the District of Columbia. Its goal is to reduce the number
and severity of accidents and hazardous materials incidents involving commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).

Basic Program Funds: Allocated by formula to States that qualify

Incentive Funds: Awarded to States that acheive certain performance goals

High Priority Activity Funds: Provided to States and local agencies to support national priorities for CMV safety and compliance.

Border Activity Funds: Provided to States and local agencies to support CMV safety and enforcement along the U.S. border.

MCSAP Funds Distribution ($)

	FY2001	FY2002	FY2003
Total MCSAP Funds TEA-1 MCS Act of 1999 (H.R. 3419)	100,000,000 55,000,000 155,000,000	105,000,000 55,000,000 160,000,000	110,000,000 55,000,000 165,000,000
Administrative Takedown*	1,937,500	2,000,000	2,062,000
High Priority Activities	7,750,000	8,000,000	8,250,000
Border Activities	7,750,000	8,000,000	8,250,000
Basic Program Funds	130,684,375 (95%)	130,640,000 (92%)	130,329,375 (89%)
Incentive Funds	6,8778,125 (5%)	11,360,000 (8%)	16,108,125 (11%)
*A minimum of 75% is dedicated for training State personnel.

Qualifying for Basic Program Funds

To receive Basic Program Funds, a State must:

Adopt and enforce State laws that are conpatible with the Federal Motro Carriere Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (FHMRs).
Prepare a complete Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP) which reflects a performance-based program and includes the items described in 49 CFR Part 350.213.
Submit the CVSP and all required documentation (350.201), including the State Certification of Compliance (350.211), to the State Director, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, by August 1 each year.
Obligate a State share of 20% (not required for Territories).
Maintain a level of effort as explained in 49 CFR Part 350.301.

States with approved CVSPs receive Basic Program Funds based on a formula that uses four equally weighted factors: road miles, all vehicle miles traveled, annual population estimates, and special fuel consumption (net after reciprocity adjustment). Population estimates are updated annually by the U.S. Census Bureau. The other factors are from FHWA's Highway Statistics. The factor road miles is based on 1997 data, which includes mileage on Federally controlled lands.Values for vehicle miles traveled and special fuel consumptions are updated annually from data submitted by the States. Maximum (4.944%) and minimum (0.44% or $350,000) limits are applied.

States should ensure that they submit high-quality, timely, accurate data to obtain an equitable allocatioin of MCSAP funds.

Qualifying for Incentive Funds

To receive Incentive Funds, a State must show performance improvement.

The distribution of Incentive Funds is by shares. The amount received by a State depends on the total number of shares earned by all States. Performance areas and their respective shares are as follow:

Reduce the number of fatal accidents involving large trucks (5 shares).
Reduce the large-truck-involved fatal accident rate (4 shares), or maintain a rate that is among the lowest 10% of all MCSAP recipients (3 shares).
Verify commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) during all roadside inspections (2 shares).
Upload CMV inspection data, in accordance with current FMCSA policy guidelines (2 shares).
Upload CMV accident reports, in accordance with current FMCSA policy guidelines (2 shares).

The total number of all State's shares is used to determine the value of one share. A State's final incentive allocation is derived by multiplying the State's percentage of the Basic Program Funds times the State's total number of shares times the dollar value of one share.

Fatal accident information is from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The fatal accident rate for a State is defined as the total number of fatal accidents involving large trucks divided by the total vehicle miles traveled (all vehicles). A reduction in accidents or accident rate is determined by comparing data for the most recent available calendar year to the previous 10-year average.

States must provide a 20% share.

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Qualifying for High Priority and Border Funds

To recieve these funds,

States must fulfill the requirements for receiving Basic Program Funds.
Local agencies must
- Prepare a proposal (49 CFR Part 350.213).
- Coordinate activities, agreements, and documentation as noted in Part 350.329.
- Obligate a 20% share.

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Exemptions and Variance

For a State to be eligible to receive MCSAP funding, State laws for all interstate CMV traffic must be compatible with the FMCSRs and FHMRs. Howver, tolerance guidelines have been established for limited deviations for intrastate commerce. Compatabilities are explained in 49 CFR Parts 350.331-345.

MCSAP National Program Elements

Driver/vehicle inspections
Traffic enforcement
Compliance reviews
Public education and awareness
Data collection

A Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) is a vehicle with any one of the following characteristics:

A gross vehicle weight, gross vehicle weight rating, gross combination weight, or gross combination weight rating of 4,537 kg (10,001 lbs) or more
Regardless of weight, designed or used to transport eight or more passengers, including drivers
Regardless of weight, used in the transportation of hazardous materials and required to be placarded under the FHMRs

The complete MCSAP Final Rule is contained in 49 CFR Part 350. The Federal Register is accessible at http://www.nara.gov/fedreg

For more information, contact:

Mr. F. Donald Hartman, FMCSA, Chief, State Programs Division, MSP-10, phone: (202) 366-9579; email:daniel.hartman@fhwa.dot.gov

Also see the FMCSA website @ http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov

Prepared by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee